Series Review: Mirza Ghalib

 

Original Run

1988

Genre

Historical Drama, Biography 

Written and Directed By

Gulzar

Starring

Naseeruddin Shah, Tanvi Azmi, Neena Gupta

For those who dont know anything about Mirza Ghalib.

Mirza Asad-Ullah Khan Ghalib is the greatest Urdu Poet and one the greatest in any Indian language. He would rank perhaps among the great poets of the world. Ghalib has not only placed pride among them; his stature is growing every passing decade. He got less than his due in his own time. He was way ahead of his age, and his contemporaries failed to comprehend him fully. As with other great poets like Shakespeare, one discovers a new wealth of meaning, suiting their need and situation. Ghalib's writing are not only an authentic amount of his own age, his poetry transcends his times and situation. It is universal in its appeal.

In the series of 17 episodes, Gulzar sahab has beautifully portrayed the life of Mirza Ghalib starting from his teenage days in Agra to his entire life in Delhi. This is just a first half of the 1st episode, the plot suddenly jumps to his manhood days where he is totally in debts and unemployed. His friends often offer him help to lower burden from his shoulder, but Ghalib who has a high pride always refuses favors from them. Ghalib often spends his days gambling, drinking and expressing his views about everything in his own style. His life was filled with day to day struggle and he often expresses it is his poetry. 

I will not recommend this series for everyone because this is a series for a poet inside you. The DVDs of this whole series are available on Flipkart and Amazon.